Charles Oakley Will Fight James Dolan

Former New York Knicks icon Charles Oakley, has filed a civil suit against James Dolan, Madison Square Garden, and Madison Square Garden Networks for defamation, assault, and false imprisonment.

Where the Relationship Took a Turn For The Worst

On Feb. 8, Oakley was arrested after tussling with security guards at Madison Square Garden while attending a Knicks game. He claimed he was being unfairly targeted for his pointed jabs at Dolan, who also was in attendance, while Garden personnel claimed Oakley was being belligerent and alleged he was drunk.

The two sides then went back and forth in the media, trading barbs on Twitter, on the radio and on television, with neither side seeming willing to back down. At one point, Dolan even banned Oakley from the Garden for life, though he later rescinded that ban.

In a statement, Oakley’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, said he filed the lawsuit in Federal District Court in Manhattan “out of principle and his desire to hold Mr. Dolan accountable for his actions.”

“This is a frivolous lawsuit and nothing more than another attempt by Mr. Oakley to garner attention,” a spokesman for the Madison Square Garden Company said in a statement. “We will deal with this accordingly.”

Oakley Has Always Been An Enforcer, Never The Victim

Charles Oakley was a beloved New York Knick. He played 19 years in the NBA, 10 of them with the Knicks. Oakley has played the third-most minutes in franchise history, behind just Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier, and is near the top of a number of other franchise records, including rebounds (third) and steals (second).
Oakley last played for the Knicks in 1999, ironically ,the year Dolan took over control of the team.

It’s a sad day when a fan favorite and someone who identifies better with the fans than a Larry Johnson, Allan Houston and Herb Williams , has to be treated this way. The incident that took place on Febuary 8th, was a black eye on the Knicks, James Dolan and Charles Oakley.